Kabul [Afghanistan], August 22 : At the sixth trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China held in Kabul, the three sides stressed the need to enhance cooperation against regional terrorist organisations, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tolo News reported.
Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, said the three countries reached an understanding to step up efforts against terror outfits. "The three sides committed to strengthen joint efforts against terrorist organisations including TTP, BLA, ETIM and other regional and international terrorist outfits," he stated.
According to Tolo News, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar also addressed the matter during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart in Islamabad. "These mechanisms reflect our shared determination to promote regional peace, stability, prosperity, and to share the benefits among Pakistan, China, and friendship with other regional countries and beyond," he said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the significance of economic cooperation, particularly under CPEC. "China and Pakistan are pioneers in implementing the Global Development Initiative, and the expansion of CPEC has not only benefited the people of both countries but has also extended to other countries including Afghanistan," he noted.
Although no joint statement was issued after the Kabul meeting, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the discussions focused on enhancing relations among the three countries in political, economic, and transit sectors, Tolo News reported.
Experts, however, expressed mixed views on the significance of the gathering. Military affairs analyst Kamran Aman remarked, "Pakistan is playing a dual game with us through China to achieve its objectives via Afghanistan. On one hand, it tries to show the world that we support TTP and the Baloch separatist groups, providing evidence of it. On the other hand, it's about capital, trade, and investment. We are witnessing that our trade with Pakistan has decreased by 28% compared to last year."
Political analyst Mohammad Aslam Danishmal also weighed in on the outcomes of the talks. "The trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan creates some opportunities in terms of political engagement and expanding connections, but there are also some negative aspects," he said, as quoted by Tolo News.
Tolo News further reported that both Pakistan's and China's foreign ministers arrived in Kabul to attend the meeting, which was hosted at the Presidential Palace.